After just over two years at Eastlands, Carlos Tevez's departure from Manchester City now seems a case of when, rather than if. The striker's alleged refusal to come on as a substitute in a Champions League match against Bayern Munich caused an irreparable rupture in the relationship between player and club, and it barely merits mentioning that in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over Villarreal, as in all the other fixtures City have played since that September evening, the native of Buenos Aires' Fuerte Apache was nowhere to be seen.
The search begins, then, for a new home for Tevez's talents; but the list is narrowing. Roberto Mancini's refusal to let 'Carlitos' go in the transfer window, when clubs of the stature of Inter were knocking, has proved a millstone for the English club in light of recent developments.
Because if Inter, Juventus or any of the European elite baulked at transfer demands believed to total over €50 million before, the player's disciplinary meltdown means receiving such a sum now appears the stuff of fairy-tales. With European suitors nervous at taking on such an infamous loose cannon, this would open the door - if only an inch - to a move back to Tevez's South American home.
The dream move for the striker and for fans, of course, would be to see 'Carlitos' retread his footprints in Boca Juniors' Bombonera turf. Although it may sound like a pipe-dream, there are certainly those in La Boca who will pursue the deal. The Apertura leaders are reeling from losing Lucas Viatri to a cruciate ligament injury, and bringing their famous son back home would more than compensate for the loss of their steady but unspectacular current No. 9.
It is easy to see why such a move has captured the imagination. Homesickness has been a constant complaint from Tevez, almost since the day he crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and small wonder when one sees the rapturous reception he receives every time he sets foot in Argentina. There is also the prospect of, what could be, an electric partnership on the pitch with Juan Roman Riquelme.
The pair's spells at Boca only coincided for a fraction of the 2001-02 season, when then-17-year-old 'Carlitos' was introduced to the virtuoso playmaker, who was soon to be transferred to Barcelona. The idea of Roman and Carlos combining their talents should make any Argentine football fan salivate; unfortunately, though, the cards are heavily stacked against it.
Local sports bible Ole dubbed the transfer "Mission Impossible", and such a description is not just hyperbole. While one of the richest clubs in the country, Boca nevertheless would find it little short of impossible to meet the transfer fees demanded by City for a loan, let alone transfer, while the striker's wages would also prove an insurmountable barrier. A move would hinge on either the whims of a third-party investor eager to shoulder the burden, or goodwill on the part of Manchester City to send their man home - goodwill, one can imagine, that is in short supply around Eastlands where Tevez is concerned.
Even if a financial deal could be struck, registering Tevez would be the next hurdle. Argentine and Fifa regulations forbid international transfers and loans outside of the designated windows, and though Boca would have a case in citing the forced absence of Viatri as reason, they would still have to fight to gain special dispensation and bring their man in immediately.
A further possibility for the forward is another old flame of his, a little further north up the Atlantic coast of South America. Corinthians suffered a similarly histrionic Tevez exit when he left for England five years ago - complete with the alleged refusals to play - but it would seem they are happy to let bygones be bygones.
Rebuffed earlier in the year in their efforts to poach Ganso from neighbours Santos, an approach from the Timao is a far more concrete prospect than romantic overtures from La Boca.
It is no secret now that the Brazilian league is booming, thanks largely to an explosion in television money, sponsorship and outside investment, which has given players like Ronaldinho a way home. Tevez would be another jewel in the crown for Serie A, and, at 27, still one of the very best players in the championship.
Corinthians were another team to approach Manchester City for Tevez earlier in the year, but they may well find conditions more favourable this time round. The striker's value has dropped after those unsavoury scenes against Bayern, and the Brazilian club's negotiators and partners would be prepared to wait until January to complete the deal given the near-inevitability of Copa Libertadores football in 2012.
Timao president Andres Sanchez went as far to say that the striker "had one foot in Corinthians" when asked, and director of football Edu Gaspar made strong enquires on a recent trip to England. While that in no way implies a done deal, and Sanchez also revealed he expects a much-reduced transfer fee than what was proposed in August, it means that the Brazilians are seriously considering the Argentine for the new year; a sentiment shared by the player.
For Tevez, the two-hour flight from Sao Paulo to Buenos Aires would be a massive attraction, while the city is one he knows well and feels more comfortable in than Manchester. The opportunity to win the trophy he first lifted with Boca back in 2003 would also entice 'Carlitos' should Corinthians secure their place in the Libertadores for next year.
After watching the still-young forward sleep-walking into oblivion over the last year in Manchester, one could not avoid feeling that, more than falling out of love with a club, Tevez had fallen out of love with the very game that had taken him out of the concrete jungle of Fuerte Apache to worldwide stardom. As he kicks his heels in footballing purgatory, it is time for 'Carlitos' to consider a return home to South America; where his sins will be forgiven in return for the joy he is still capable of giving fans - whether they wear Boca or Corinthians shirts.
